Nanexila jimrodmani sp. nov.

(Figures 1–2)

Holotype male, AUSTRALIA: NEW SOUTH WALES: Kosciuszko N.P., 1.7 km ENE Thredbo, over narrow stream in flowering wide grassy creek bed, Malaise, 3-11.i.2002, C.L. Lambkin, N.T. Starick, 1380 m, 36°30’07”S, 148°19’02”E (ANIC 29 004010) (ANIC). Condition: excellent.

Paratypes, AUSTRALIA: NEW SOUTH WALES: male, female, same data as holotype (ANIC 29 004013) (QDPI), (004070) (ANIC); female, Kosciuszko N.P., 1.8 km NE Thredbo, over narrow stream in flowering grassland, Malaise, 11–13.i. 2002, C.L. Lambkin, N.T. Starick, 1480 m, 36°29’49”S, 148°18’51”E (ANIC 29 004077) (ANIC).

Diagnosis. Frons with enlarged setae; multiple rows of postocular setae dorsally in male; occiput and scutum covered with greenish pubescence, scutum with brown medial stripe; wing dark infuscate anteriorly; male abdomen overlain with silver velutum; spermathecal sac three lobed, paired arrangement of spermathecae with lobes of spermathecal sac.

Description. Male: Body length: 10.0 mm.

Head. Frons narrower than ocellar tubercle at narrowest point, densely covered with greenish-brown pubescence, sparsely admixed with elongate, black setae; narrow dark medial stripe extending from between bases of antennae dorsally to mid point of frons; face grey pubescent; ocellar tubercle small, raised, overlain with greenish-brown pubescence admixed with small, dark setae; occiput concave, overlain with greenish pubescence; single row of dark post-ocular setae dorsally, a few setae present behind the first indicating the possibility of a second row; gena overlain with silver pubescence admixed with slender, pale setae; mouthparts orange, palps slender; antenna shorter than head, orange pubescent, admixed with black setae on scape and pedicel, flagellum abruptly tapered, only slightly longer than combined length of scape and pedicel, style terminal, dark coloured.

Thorax. Dark, overlain with dense pubescence, macrosetae black; scutum pubescence greenish-brown with distinct brown, median stripe, sparsely admixed with dark setae; scutellum overlain with greenish pubescence admixed with long setae; pleuron overlain with sparse grey pubescence, admixed with pale, elongate setae on proepisternum, anepisternum, katepisternum and katatergite; coxae dark on anterior surfaces and orange on posterior surfaces, overlain with grey pubescence, admixed with elongate, black macrosetae and pale, slender setae on anterior surfaces on fore and mid coxae and laterally on hind coxa; legs yellow, sparsely covered with short, dark setae admixed with pale, slightly longer setae; wing largely hyaline, dark infuscate along anterior margin, venation dark; haltere yellow; scutal chaetotaxy (pairs): np, 4; sa, 2; pa, 1; dc, 4–5; sc, 1.

Abdomen. Segments 1–7 dark yellow-orange, dark brown dorso-medially, admixed with dark, elongate setae on all segments, setae longer and paler on anterior tergites; setae of uniform size and distribution on tergite 2; tergites 1–7 overlain with dense silver velutum; terminalia dark yellow to brown.

Male genitalia. Epandrium narrowed posteriorly, covered with dark setae (Fig. 1 A); cercus rounded; tergite 8 broad, not emarginate medially, setae concentrated laterally (Fig. 1 B); sternite 8 quadrangular (Fig. 1 E); hypandrium triangular; gonocoxite rounded, without medial atrium (Figs 1 C–D), numerous large, dark setae located posteroventrally; ventral lobe elongate, narrowed apically; gonocoxal apodeme very short; gonocoxal process present, rounded, deep in profile, equal to 1/2 length of inner gonocoxal process; inner gonocoxal process spatulate apically; gonostylus with relatively few, pale setae; distiphallus curved ventrally, dorsal apodeme of parameral sheath ‘T’-shaped, well sclerotised (Figs 1 F–G); ventral apodeme of parameral sheath relatively short, forked; lateral ejaculatory apodeme band-like; ejaculatory apodeme relatively large basally, laterally spatulate at anterior end.

Female: Body length: 10.5 mm.

Similar to male except: Frons much wider than ocellar tubercle; multiple rows of postocular setae; setae on scutum and abdomen shorter; abdominal tergites mostly orange with dark medial area relatively small, velutum absent.

Female genitalia (Fig. 2). Tergite 8 anterior process broad; furca well sclerotised, ring-like; accessory glands elongate, ducts joined before entering bursa copulatrix; common spermathecal sac duct relatively long; three spherical spermathecae, spermathecal sac three lobed, each lobe elongate with irregular dilations; spermathecal ducts joining separately and basally to each lobe of sac rather than to common spermathecal sac duct.

Etymology. This species is named in honour of James E. Rodman, Program Director of the Systematic Biology and Biodiversity Inventories Cluster in the Division of Environmental Biology of the National Science Foundation (USA).

Comments. This species is closely related to N. atricostalis and Nanexila aureilineata Winterton & Irwin. It can be differentiated by the female abdomen not having velutum patches (although present in male) and distinctive scutal colouration. The unusual shape and paired arrangement of the spermathecae and spermathecal sac lobes in this species is typical of that found in other members of the N. atricostalis species group. The infuscate anterior margin of the wing and the scutal colouration easily differentiate it from other Nanexila species.